New York State Assembly

"The Assembly Majority's one-house budget resolution offers few solutions to the problems facing New Yorkers. Their spending plan does far too little to create jobs, energize our economy, or ease the financial burden facing millions of individuals and families. This represents a progressive political agenda rather than a responsible blueprint for our next State Budget. The resolution introduced today:

• does not go far enough to restore the Gap Elimination Adjustment, directing nearly $150 million less than last year to restore the school cuts of 2011;

• contains a job-killing minimum wage increase before the previously-approved wage hike is fully phased in, and creates a dangerous divide by establishing different regional rates for upstate and downstate;

• raises the maximum tuition assistance available to resident students by only $150, but creates a $27 million program for illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded college assistance;

• does nothing to lower the costs on local governments by ending unfunded mandates - the true driver of New York's oppressive property taxes;

• fails to implement comprehensive ethics reforms, ignoring essential measures such as term limits for leadership positions and stripping pensions from convicted officials;

• provides $20 million for New York City winter recovery road repairs through the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) while doing nothing additional for upstate communities; and

• ignores the needs of New York's 1.7 million job-creating small businesses, but establishes a Music Production Tax Credit and a tax exemption on purchases of luxury yachts.

The Majority's budget resolution is an example of misguided priorities leading to misdirected resources. As further negotiations take place and the budget is refined, it is my hope that a final agreement offers greater assistance to all New Yorkers."